Pendarovski sworn in as new North Macedonia president

SKOPJE, North Macedonia – Stevo Pendarovski has been sworn in as the new president of North Macedonia, promising he will serve all citizens in a deeply divided society and will lobby European Union leaders to approve the start of his country's accession talks in June.

The 56-year-old was sworn in before lawmakers Sunday. He won the election May 5 in a tightly contested runoff with a conservative rival.

The presidents of Albania, Bulgaria, Serbia and Kosovo attended the inauguration ceremony.

Pendarovski is a strong supporter of the deal with Greece, finalized in February, that ended a decades-long dispute over the name Macedonia, in exchange for the prospect of NATO and European Union membership.

Former president Gjorge Ivanov, who ended his second and last five-year term Sunday, was a fierce opponent of the name deal.

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